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CPSC Meeting Log - Twist-On Wire Connectors for Aluminum #2 Wire

                 L O G  O F  M E E T I N 
G

SUBJECT: Twist-on Wire Connectors for Aluminum Wire

DATE:  June 1, 1995          PLACE:  Room 410 B/C
                                     East West Towers

DATE OF LOG ENTRY: June 15, 1995

SOURCE OF LOG ENTRY: William H. King, Jr. ESEE

CPSC PARTICIPANTS:

     William H. King, Jr. ESEE
     Andrew Stadnik, ES
     Linda Edwards, ESEE
     Aaron Banerjee, ESEE
     Ed Krawied, ESEE
     Marc Schoem, CCA (a.m. only)
     John Fitch, CCA (p.m. only)


NON-CPSC PARTICIPANTS:

     Jerry Kopstein, Underwriters Laboratories INC. (UL)
     Jake Killinger, UL
     Jim Beyreis, UL
     Peter Pollak, Aluminum Association
     Phil Sawyer, Ideal Industries, Inc.
     Bill Blaha, Ideal Industries, Inc.




SUMMARY:



     Following the recent announcement by Underwriters
Laboratories Inc. that a twist-on wire connector has been listed
by UL for use with aluminum-to-copper conductors for the first
time since 1987, CPSC staff raised safety concerns with the
application of this product to existing homes wired with aluminum
wiring. Those concerns led to the meeting covered by this log.



     Mr. King provided the explanation of the CPSC staff concerns
as documented in CPSC letter of May 1, 1995 to UL. UL, Ideal
and the CPSC staff discussed their position and views on each of
the ten issues covered in the letter.

Following the exchange of views, the parties agreed to the
following:



     1. CPSC staff will provide UL with copies of the reports
that led to the selection of the aluminum wiring repair
recommendations contained in the CPSC booklet "Repairing Aluminum
Wiring".  CPSC will also provide copies of reports related to
environmental testing of electrical connections involving
aluminum wire, and testing of twist-on connectors with aluminum
wire.



     2. UL will consider further how representative the aluminum
wire stock used in the UL testing is to conductors installed in
homes.



     3. UL will consider inclusion of environmental test
conditions in the performance requirements of their standard.



     4. UL will review the human factors issues involved in
consumer application of twist-on connectors for aluminum wire.



     5. UL will consider hot-wire ignition as a test method
applicable to flammable parts of the twist-on connector for
aluminum wire.



     6. UL will consider additional testing of the connector
using electric current flowing between conductors of similar
metals, including AL-to-AL, when these are part of the listed AL-
CU wire combinations.



     It was agreed by the parties to get back in touch with each
other, via a conference call, in approximately six weeks from the
date of this meeting to further pursue this matter.

               ######

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